Chi-Town & The Last Of Wisconsin
As I write this blog post, I wait for Amity to finish her last day of work at her clinic here in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. These contracts always fly by, and we continually find ourselves looking back at the last few months with amazement at everything we’ve been able to see and do. Over the past couple of weekends, we took the time to make sure we checked off all the necessary boxes before we set our sights on the next contract location. With fall in full force here in Wisconsin, we had to prioritize hiking in the woods to take in all the colors. We also needed to make one last trip to Chicago to spend some time with Mal and her family. Here’s to one last blog post while living in Wisconsin; Don’t Cha Know?!?
Mile: 73,606
Quote of the Blog: “Traveling. First it leaves your speechless, then it turns you into a storyteller. - Ibn Battuta
Song of the Blog: “Final Countdown” - Europe
After our trip up to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, we wanted to keep things a little more local. After some quick research, we found that a ski hill west of us does annual fall foliage chairlift rides. The ski hill is called Granite Peak and is just outside the town of Wausau, WI. We picked the perfect day to head over. The weather was crisp, and there was no incoming rain or wind. This made for a perfect day to explore the mountain. Our plan was to ride the chair up and then do some hiking around the top of the “mountain.” The ski hill was pretty small but had a little more of a village feel than some of the hills we had visited in New England. After getting on the chair, we were greeted with beautiful oranges and yellows in the trees. The leaves were slightly past peak, but the trees still held quite a bit of color, and the ground was covered in a vibrant array of fall leaves.
At the top of the chair, we realized there was a road and a parking lot that led to the hiking trails at the top of the mountain. We laughed, but were still happy we had taken the chairlift for fun. The hike started with a large lookout tower, where we could see the surrounding landscape glowing burnt orange with fall leaves. The hike was really quiet, and we only saw a couple of people along the trail. We hiked about six miles around the peak and into the forest. The entire forest was covered in a fresh blanket of yellow, orange, and red leaves. It was a beautiful and crisp fall day, which made for a perfect hike. Following the hike, we had a relaxing chair ride back to the car and headed down to a local brewery in Wausau called Bull Falls Brewing. When we drove up, we weren’t sure if it was even open. There were empty pallets, deliveries, and construction trucks everywhere. After a quick recon mission, Amity found out that today was their soft opening event and that their back patio was open. We went back and ordered a beer just in time for the bartender to tell us they were about to open the main bar area. We moved our seats inside and found a spot at the brand new bar. We were pretty lucky to stumble into this little event. The beer needed some improvement, but the building and facility were awesome! After the beers, we had to make one last pit stop “Up North.” About 15 minutes north of Wausau is the famous Ski’s Sugar Shack! We stocked up on local maple syrup like we were leaving the region completely, as we are! The next day was Halloween. We spent the day getting one last hike in at a park nearby Fond du Lac. Even with an extension on Amity’s contract, there is never enough time to see everything in the area! That night we headed downtown to the brewery for a Halloween party. We rocked our Dodgeball outfits from a costume half-marathon we did in New Jersey. Definitely a hit at the party!
With one weekend left in the Midwest, we planned to head to the biggest city in the region to celebrate and hang out with the best Chicagoan we know, Mallory Sabian! Driving into Chicago this time felt different, as if we were more conditioned to city life and the controlled chaos that comes with it. After getting our car parked for the weekend, we headed up to Mallory’s place to unload. There will always be something special about that first moment looking out the window of a high-rise building. I used to be terrified by it, but now it feels more like excitement than pure fear. Mallory was at work for the afternoon, so we set out on our own adventure. We had never done Chicago’s Architecture Boat Tour, so we made our way down to play full tourists in the big city. We picked the perfect time to go. The sun was setting during the tour, which only made the already amazing views even better. The tour was more insightful than I expected. These kinds of buildings are so foreign to us that we’re amazed they’re even able to construct them. Following the boat ride, we met back up with Mallory and headed out to get drinks and dinner. She took us to a new spot for her called DJ’s Great Room. It was really good, and they served my drink in a “fancy” tiki glass! After dinner, we called it an early night since we had plans to get up and get after it in the morning.
Just after dawn, Amity and Mallory headed out to do a barre class at Mallory’s gym. I took the time to get in a five-mile run along the Lake Michigan shoreline. They have pretty amazing running trails there, but watch out for the bikers! After everyone got their sweat in, we set out on a full day of walking. We started with breakfast just down the street from her condo building. Mallory appreciates a good espresso, which I can always get behind. She always takes us to great spots for it! After getting caffeinated, we headed over to her parents’ house. Jacquie and Frank (David) are like family to Amity. They are great, and we are equally grateful for them whenever we are in Chicago! After a little playtime with their dog, Ziggie, we all hopped into an Uber and headed down to an event called the Randolph Street Market. The three ladies love to thrift shop, so this was absolutely perfect for them. I did my best to hang out, but at one point the crowds and tight quarters got to me, and I had to leave. Unbeknownst to me, Amity had started a timer to see how long I would last at this event. I nearly made it 30 minutes, and I even connected with someone interested in purchasing one of my Santa Hats! Big win for everyone! After leaving, I found a nearby brewery to grab a beer at while I waited for them to finish “shopping.” After their “long morning of shopping,” we grabbed some lunch before saying goodbye to Jacquie for the evening. Mallory, Amity, and I walked around the local area looking for a place to get a drink. Mallory spotted a new bar she hadn’t been to called Double Fun. They had some delicious drinks. After cocktails, we walked some more (probably another 3–4 miles) to get down to the Mart building for the “Art on the Mart” visual display. This was really cool and very touristy, but something we never see, so it was worth it! We could have stayed longer, but we had plans to have Lou Malnati’s back at Mallory’s condo. When you have plans to have Lou’s, you don’t mess them up! Once we got the pizza and made it back to her condo, we stayed up talking and laughing for hours. We didn’t realize how late it was by the time we got situated for bed.
Our last morning in Chicago, we had plans to head down to the Walnut Room for their holiday brunch. This is a restaurant adjacent to a Macy’s in downtown Chicago that features an annual gigantic Christmas tree. Getting reservations is a little bit of a pain, but Mallory was on it this year and locked them in for us. The atmosphere is 100% Christmas! From the décor to the uniforms the employees wear, the holiday spirit is strong. After a long weekend of walking, it was nice to enjoy a relaxing brunch with Mallory. We love spending time with her and wish we could spend the entire holiday season with her, but warmer weather and a new home are less than one week away. We enjoyed a great brunch and took some pictures before leaving. Amity threw us a curveball when she realized she had left her credit card at DJ’s restaurant. This only added a couple more miles of walking to our total. After three days in Chicago, we logged around 20 miles of walking, explored new places, and loved every minute we got to spend with the entire Sabian family! You are all too kind to us! Thanks for everything, and we wish you the happiest holiday season in Chi-Town!
Our drive home was short and sweet! We had one major item left on the list before getting home: stopping at the Mars Cheese Castle just outside of Kenosha in Wisconsin. This was the first place we stopped when we arrived in Wisconsin, so it felt right that it would be one of our last stops as well. We had to stock up on some curds, aged cheddar, and pick up some Wisconsin beer for friends in Montana. Places like this are a dime a dozen! They exemplify the local spirit, and in Wisconsin, cheese and beer reign supreme! Once we were properly stocked up, we finished the drive back to Fondy. The last couple of days were spent working and packing. We had our obligatory last two-tree beers at the local brewery, Fond du Lac Beer Company. We had our last brats in Wisconsin. We went to our favorite pizza spot, Schmitty’s, for the cheapest pizza nights we are bound to find. Finally, we had our last day in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is friggin’ awesome! We did not have high expectations for another Midwestern state, but this place blew our minds. From the vastness of the Great Lakes to the welcoming culture of the people to the amazing access to a diverse range of activities—Wisconsin has it all! We are going to forever hold a big place in our hearts for Wisconsin. But, as with any contract location, the time eventually comes to an end. With our car packed up, I swooped up Amity from work, and we set off on an adventure we cannot wait to tell you all about! Here’s to having two-tree too many beers, cheese curds, delicious brats, Wisconsin, and Living Rad! Peace out, Midwest!